In 2006, We Hope – China News Weekly

Facing 2006, we hope that China’s reform will make critical progress in challenging areas, the country will be prosperous and people at peace; and society will be harmonious;

We hope that there will no longer be so many miners who die in the dark underground, and that their families will no longer be so worried when they go to work;

We hope that every death penalty case will be under the strictest scrutiny by the most experienced judges, excluding all doubts, and every single death penalty case will be proven over time, even if this means high operating costs for the judicial system;

We hope that every migrant worker can get his/her full salary after one year’s hard work. When their payment is overdue, they can find a place to address their concerns. Administrative and judicial agencies can provide effective protection for them in a timely manner;

We hope that farmers’ rights to the land can receive more actual protection, different forms of “land reallocation by the government” can be really transparent, and farmers are allowed to get fair compensation;

We hope that workers’ salaries can basically keep up with the economic growth and inflation. For this reason, we hope the rights of workers, including the right to join a labor union to protect their own rights, can be protected so they can negotiate with employers on an equal level;

We hope that every level of of government can be more scientific to sort out administrative duties and financial obligations, and that state funding will be used to make sure every child can have nine years free education, and that this basic education will not be stopped just because a family is too poor;

We hope that the concept of “alien population” can become history, and that the fence of residential registration system can be lowered. When hundreds of millions of new citizens emerge into our cities, and make contributions to our cities, they can also enjoy social welfare and benefits in these cities;

We hope that no patient will be excluded from hospitals just because they do not have money, that the reform of the medical system can enlarge people’s choices, and that the increasing cost of medical services and medicines will not exceed the increasing rate of ordinary people’s income;

We hope that local governments will manage their cities based on the principle of humanity, not on the principle of “face.” Beggars should not be arbitrarily thrown out just because they damage the “image” of the city, and they should be treated with more kindness by residents of these cities as well;

We hope that government’s measures to stabilize the real estate market can be effective, the housing price can be kept stable, and the rate of increase will be within the rate of income increase. Government also can come up with a good strategy to provide housing for poor people;

We hope that the government will be more cautious in making reform in public utilities, to ensure real marketization of public utilities. We hope competition is introduced to ensure that the reform of public utilities do not cause rapid price increases;

We hope that everyone, when his/her environment suffers from serious pollution or epidemics, can obtain relevant information from the government immediately, receive necessary assistance, and their rights to get compensation from pollution makers through legal means are guaranteed by the government;

We also hope that more government officials will realize their own moral responsibility, and will have more moral courage to take on these responsibilities when serious mistakes are made in their own work or disasters occur in the departments or areas of which they are in charge;

We still have many more hopes.

All in all, we hope that in our society, all people, no matter who they are, will have their constitutional and legal rights protected. In the new year, we hope that they can follow their own will, use their own talent and skills, and go to the places they find suitable, to pursue their own happiness.